I’ve booked tickets on a lot of niche carriers over the years, though here’s something that I’ve never seen before.
In this post:
Boliviana de Aviacion doesn’t sell business class direct
As I wrote about in a separate post, I’m finally traveling in Boliviana de Aviacion (BoA) business class from Miami to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (which I’ve been really, really excited about, in case that wasn’t obvious). 😉
While trying to book my ticket, I came across an interesting discovery — BoA doesn’t sell business class tickets directly, but rather you have to book through an online travel agency. This is truly bizarre.
The airline has a “proper” business class product on its Airbus A330s, which fly to Miami (MIA) and Madrid (MAD). But when you go to BoA’s website, you won’t see an option to select a class of service. The flight results are exclusively for economy.
I figured I must be missing something. So I instead did my flight search through Google Flights, which was willing to redirect me to the BoA website to book.
But even when redirected to BoA’s website from Google Flights, I still couldn’t find any way to actually book business class. Before anyone asks, BoA’s app is… ummm… interesting. It doesn’t have any booking or reservation management functions, but rather just seems to be a flight status board of sorts.
So I ended up having to book my flight through an online travel agency. That’s easy enough, and it even made the ticket a few dollars cheaper. Business class shows up as normal on any OTA, ranging from Expedia to Booking. But it’s all a bit ironic, since airlines usually work so hard to cut out third parties, and want you to book direct.
I figured I was just totally incompetent, so I hesitated to write about this, because I figured OMAAT readers would quickly point out how I was missing something very obvious. But when I boarded my flight last night and ran into a fellow enthusiast, he brought this up to me as well, and asked if I noticed how you can’t book business class through the carrier’s website. So I’m happy it’s not just me.
Does anyone want to try to to explain this?
I didn’t go to business school, but if my understanding is correct, a key step to running a business is to actually, you know, sell and market the product that you have. Like, if you’re running a lemonade stand, it’s important to make lemonade, but it’s equally important to sell it.
So I really can’t help but wonder what’s going on here:
- Am I in fact missing something, and there is actually a way to book business class tickets on BoA’s website?
- Does the airline not realize that it’s not selling business class tickets through its website? If so, what’s going on in BoA’s revenue management department?
- Is the airline, for whatever reason, unable to get the functionality of selling business class seats onto its website? If so, why?
Is there some other possible explanation I’m not thinking of? I’ve just truly never seen anything like this, which is why I bring it up. It’s not a huge deal as a consumer, but from the perspective of an airline, it makes no sense.
Bottom line
Boliviana de Aviacion is the first airline that I’ve flown that offers a business class product on some flights, but doesn’t actually sell it directly. If you want to book BoA business class, you have to book through an online travel agency. While incredibly minor, I can’t help but be curious what the explanation is for this…
Any insights into BoA not selling business class tickets directly?
I flew a lot with BoA's predecessor in the late 90's an early 2000's.
LAB, for Lloyd Aereo Boliviano was a fascinating airline, the 2nd oldest in the world after Avianca. It flew from 1925 to 2010, had in the 1950's an extensive network spanning 3 contients and it operated, during its life no less than 25 different types.
In the end, it had a small fleet of Airbus A310, Boeing 737-300 and Boeing...
I flew a lot with BoA's predecessor in the late 90's an early 2000's.
LAB, for Lloyd Aereo Boliviano was a fascinating airline, the 2nd oldest in the world after Avianca. It flew from 1925 to 2010, had in the 1950's an extensive network spanning 3 contients and it operated, during its life no less than 25 different types.
In the end, it had a small fleet of Airbus A310, Boeing 737-300 and Boeing 727-200 bought from Brazil's VASP at the time of VASP's liquidation.
Sadly, service was never their forte but they already were unbeatable for the prices, especially in First Class.
The reason is that BoA is a state owned enterprise in a socialist country and the airline was established to offer reasonable fares and equality to the entire population. Fares are very low by western standards, even if you book a few days in advance. Because the principle of socialism/statism is ensuring that everyone is treated the same the government doesn't offer business class on its website because it doesn't want one Bolivian to be...
The reason is that BoA is a state owned enterprise in a socialist country and the airline was established to offer reasonable fares and equality to the entire population. Fares are very low by western standards, even if you book a few days in advance. Because the principle of socialism/statism is ensuring that everyone is treated the same the government doesn't offer business class on its website because it doesn't want one Bolivian to be able to pay for a superior service that another Bolivian couldn't afford.
I can get flights in business class on Cubana (or whatever they wet-lease these nowadays) and i'm pretty sure they are a bit more socialist than Bolivia...
If that were the reason, why even have business class at all?
Oh there seems to be weirder... You document that your ticket was priced at $713 more or less, but their own display, which you show, indicates
"Super Eco',
"Eco", and then
"Normal" for a price higher ($ 780) than what you paid in Business.
Are you sure that "Normal" does not mean "Business Class"?
Many airlines, like Iberia in Europe, often offer Business Class for less than the highest Economy fare, one...
Oh there seems to be weirder... You document that your ticket was priced at $713 more or less, but their own display, which you show, indicates
"Super Eco',
"Eco", and then
"Normal" for a price higher ($ 780) than what you paid in Business.
Are you sure that "Normal" does not mean "Business Class"?
Many airlines, like Iberia in Europe, often offer Business Class for less than the highest Economy fare, one even sees it sometimes for AA/BA flights on the AA/BA websites. But the scale is not exactly the same...
The jefes and diputados don't want the low yield clowns clogging up the business class seats on their way to Miami or Madrid...
I own a travel agency, and we can view and book business-class flights through our GDS (SABRE).
Incidentally, you mention they operate MIA Madrid. I don't show that routing.
I think he meant that you can fly that airline from Bolivia to Miami or from Bolivia to Madrid on their long haul A330's.
Lots of comments filled with offensive stereotypes.
like what?
That these flights are used for drug running, meet mistresses in Miami, or visit property in Miami (that is presumably bought to launder drug money and to meet said mistresses).
I don’t know, but one reason I can think of is that it doesn’t sell well and so they are selling the seats in bulk in consolidation so that way they are guaranteed a payment and then the agents have to figure out how to sell them. Selling tickets in bulk was a thing for airlines in the past. I am guessing that maybe most people flying business are doing it as part of some kind of package tour? Maybe?
On their website, click where it says "1 Adult" and at the bottom of the drop down there is an option to book business fares.
But it doesn't actually highlight for MIA-VVI. For MIA-MAD yes but for some reason not for VVI route.
Why didn’t use the Capital One Travel portal for the extra points?
My first guess is that the politicians and connected businessmen who probably use this flight to go see their property and mistresses in Miami, don't want you clogging up their seat availability.
Maybe it’s a workaround to accept dollar payments, and have those dollars deposited in a US bank account (safe from inflation).
@Natenate...
The US Dollar safe from inflation? Where have you been these past years ?
Yes, I know, we are nowhere yet near some South American inflation rates, but be patient. it is coming.
Maybe they already make enough money off the carriage of drugs (like the half ton of cocaine found on one of their flights to Madrid)?
I have just tried and I can't even book it in economy, I always get an error in Spanish that tells me they don't have any availability :)
It is not unusual for state owned carriers to not sell their premium tickets directly, and only through specific preferred agencies with appropriate political connections.
And Bolivia has what "buying power" or political connection with any of the international OTA's?
Am I the only one who doesn’t understand the airline’s “BoA” stylization (including on the tail) when the airline is “Boliviana de Aviacion”? Shouldn’t it be “BdA”?
Makes no sense to me.
I guess the "o" stands for the second letter in Boliviana.
Maybe there are indeed snakes (of the boa constrictor type) on their planes. ;)
Is this the business class fare on their site?
This was a search for October 9 MIA VVI, it's similar to what Google Flights finds.
BF_NORMAL
USD. 639.30
9 Available Seats
Price per passenger
You click on passengers to select class.
Kind of shocking you didn't figure that out.
@ Poe -- Are you actually able to click the "business" button? Because I'm not...
Yes https://imgur.com/a/QU2jK7A
@ Poe -- Hah, that's even strange. So it doesn't work if searching MIA-VVI or VVI-MAD, but it works if searching MIA-MAD? But when you search MIA-MAD, do you also get the message about there being no availability?
Regardless, it's pretty crappy web design.
That's odd for sure... FWIW I have long been interested in BoA, so given the few reviews out there and despite not being a fan of *that* YouTuber's drama, I decided to check out the video and was shocked when he said he got an upgrade on MAD-VVI for only 40€.
Reading the comments, I'm guessing you have already made your way to VVI, but if not, it'd be interesting to know whether such cheap upgrades are actually true.
I flew Boliviana MIA-VVI round trip in business class. It is true you can't do this from their website. But a simple phone call to their number in Miami is all that is necessary. As a matter of fact, within a 24-48 hour window before the flight, you can upgrade to business class at a discount by calling the same number. They don't make it easy, but a phone call is all it takes.
roughly how much it is to upgrade within the 48 hour window?
I think it was around $500.
Speaking from experience, I could see a hack-y website staff or external agency treating this like an upsell option... "Well, if you want customers to be able to book 2 classes on the website, we will need x more time/budget" (whether or not its true who knows)...
Which they weren't willing to invest for whatever reason.
The app points to under-resourced tech as well.
The other comment about their low volume of business tickets overall is another clue.
Hey Lucky,
I experienced the same trying to book BOA from Sao Paulo - La Paz - Madrid. Impossible to do a business class search via their own website or reveal any prices for that cabin which is as you say bizarre.
I can’t imagine that state owned airline having a sophisticated IT department and revenue management.
Thrilled you finally got to try it!! Any initial insights on the flight? Taking it next month from Miami
@ Tyler -- Stay tuned, initial thoughts on the experience are coming later today. :-)
It happens when the airline cannot even afford a booking system with various classes.
They just let the OTAs sell it and process the reservation kinda manually. They don't have many flights, so it makes sense for them to not invest in the system.
Maybe a partial explanation: On its domestic and short/medium-haul international network only offers Economy. It only offers Business Class on its flights to the US and Europe. So I guess the vast majority of the tickets are economy tickets ... that my 2 cents ...